Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis says any changes to magistrate court provision in Staffordshire must make sure justice is kept local.
The Ministry of Justice’s consultation into the future of courts nationally includes proposals to close under-used magistrates’ courts in Stafford and Burton.
Mr Ellis has been talking to Government for 12 months about the need for a more joined-up, creative approach to criminal justice following work done in Staffordshire to look at the journey of cases from arrest to disposal at court.
He said: “I want to save money by joining up services across criminal justice. I’m a firm believer that we can run these services and get them to join up better from arrest right the way to disposal in court than you can do from 120 miles away in Whitehall and it can be done cheaper than it is now.
“The principle must be to keep justice as close to local people as possible. We’re looking at improvements in technology which mean that it will be possible to sometimes give evidence via video link rather than always having to travel to court. But where offenders have to go to court it is important we avoid cost shift towards police because the distance to travel is so far offenders don’t attend.
“These proposals have only just come out and I’m going to look very closely at what Government believes to be the situation. It’s absolutely the right principle if a building isn’t being used to its full effect that we look at what can be done to make sure it is – or where we put magistrates if the current building isn’t the right place for them. I want to consider all of the options because there might be more imaginative solutions which would be cost effective and maintain local justice for the people of Staffordshire.
“I’m going to keep talking about a properly joined-up local system for courts and policing under one governance with one budget and in responding to the consultation I’ll try and persuade Government to evaluate the propositions we’re putting forward for a more integrated and cost effective justice system in Staffordshire.”
